Editorial: Massachusetts politicians, business leaders need to get behind state community college system

Republican file photoStudents walk down stairs at the crowded Holyoke Community College campus.

Long neglected, community colleges are finally getting a small corner of the political spotlight. The reason: Politicians are realizing they play a critical role in creating good, middle-class jobs.

There’s a considerable skills gap in the country, and community colleges are widely seen as the most affordable and effective option to create a bridge to economic opportunity. (The wide variety of private technical and vocational schools amply proves just how much demand there is for high school graduates to move up in the world.) In his State of the Union Address, President Obama called for the training of 2 million Americans through the likes of community colleges.

Massachusetts’ community colleges are all over the map in terms of job training, and a recent report underwritten by the Boston Foundation makes a case that this loose confederacy of institutions collectively isn’t positioned to meet the commonwealth’s needs. There may soon be more middle-skill jobs than people to fill them – already, tech manufacturers complain about the lack of qualified people to produce high-precision goods. More than a third of the job openings in the next five years are expected to require more than a high school diploma but less than a full, four-year degree. But the community college dropout rate is high. And while the schools’ track record of creating lasting relationships with the private sector displays some isolated examples of success, there’s very little idea sharing or coordinated vision.

There are examples of promising innovation. Gov. Patrick, in his state of the state address, zeroed in on Bunker Hill Community College, giving the school a shout-out for its new internship program sponsored by the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership. He called for a $10 million funding boost for the community college system.

Clearly, the state needs to back up the talk with real funding. But here’s a problem that doesn’t require money to solve. As The Boston Foundation clearly outlines, overarching leadership and a clear mission are essential components to a more successful community college system. But most important is more buy-in from the business community. The call for a coalition of leaders across the political and business spectrum would give the community college system the insight and clout to grow to better meet the needs of the Massachusetts economy.